Changing the world one toy soldier at a time.
Investigating fast play (less than one hour) small scale (a 2'x2' board) ancient rules. Replaying same scenarios with different rulesets to see how they go. Plus the occasional foray into WW2.

Battle of Paraitakene
In the saga of the Successor Wars, Eumenes confronts Antigonos One-Eye
in Media. This was the first of two indecisive battles (the second being
Gabiene) between these two Diadochi.

There is not much on the internet on this battle but here is the link to Wikipedia:Wikipedia article

I also used Lost Battles (Sabin)

Scenario changes

Reduced by about a third the troops due to my smaller sized
table. I roughly halved the Spear or pike units as the scenario units are for
DBx that assumes in this case that the units will be rear supported, not the
case with my rules. I also moved one Antigonos heavy cavalry from his right flank to the left - more like the Lost Battles setup. In the battle, this flank was able to defeat its opposition, and so needs the bolstering.

Eumenes left flank on the left of the picture. Not much - a lone skirmisher bottom right is the flank! The elephant at the right centre is too far advanced to protect the flank..

Antigonos himself runs from the oncoming elephant on the left flank. On the Antigonos left flank, the flanking light cavalry charges the flank of one of Eumenes heavy cavalry for no effect. In the centre, a Eumenes elephant tears through the hoplites (excellent die roll). Eumenes has effectively taken control of his right flank (Antigonos's left one)
.

At the top, an Eumenes elephant charges through the enemy hoplite line. Bottom left sees a Antigonos light cavalry charge the flank of an opposing heavy cavalry for no effect. Eumenes controls his right flank.

Antigonos sees a gap on the right flank and races into the gap to hit the flank of the battleline.

Antigonos and Guard cavalry in centre. Found the gap on his right flank and charges through it towards the infantry battleline.

Another Antigonos phalanx unit gone. Eumenes is moving on his right flank and the Eumenes' elephant are circling into the centre. Antigonos is racing to flank the infantry battleline. It is a close game to see who can rout the other side first. Antigonos hits the infantry battleline in the flank.

Antigonos and Guards hit the flank of the Eumenes phalanx.

First unit is gone. Antigonos continues to charge. Second unit gone.

Antigonos and Guards have routed two opposing phalanxes.

The Eumenes breakpoint reached and game over for Eumenes.

End game. Fairly scattered forces..

Verdict
Hard to give a verdict for this game - I wrote this up one year after playing it! I had completely forgotten I had played this, taken pictures and written game notes. Until I went to get ready to play it and work out the units and discovered the draft blog post had played game notes in it and a folder had pictures in it. So I cannot tell you whether I enjoyed this game or not, other than I've enjoyed every other game with my rules, so I am bound to have enjoyed this one! The game does seem to have gone fast and be fairly intense, so the rules are working as designed.

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Why this blog?

I've been gaming on and off since 1979. At the moment I have 2 young children and the friends I do ancient figure gaming are in the same boat. So I (and them) have little free time. I am the "rules guy" so I am investigating fast play small scale ancient rules. Others may find this of interest. We also do some WW2 so an occasional modern game or ruleset may appear too.